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Toronto Raptors survive Brooklyn Nets’ rally, even series

Key players hung in through knee injuries to pace Toronto

Kyle Lowry #7 and Greivis Vasquez #21 of the Toronto Raptors celebrate a 87-79 win against the Brooklyn Nets in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2014 NBA Playoffs at the Barclays Center on April 27, 2014 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

NEW YORK — It happened in a moment. One second, the Brooklyn Nets were old, tired and virtually absent. They could not defend the pick-and-roll. They were getting busted in the paint.

Then, midway through the second quarter, everything changed. Kevin Garnett was destroying the Toronto Raptors’ intentions on those same pick-and-rolls. The ball was ping-ponging around the three-point arc with abandon for the Nets, and the Raptors were always a tick behind the play. A 17-point Raptors lead disappeared in about eight minutes of game time. The Raptors looked done.

These Raptors have defied expectations all season long, though. With three players nursing sore knees — three players who were in Dwane Casey’s crunch-time lineup — the Raptors found a way. Kyle Lowry dropped a deft floater with 1:13 to go to give the Raptors a six-point lead. It punctuated one of the best wins in franchise history, a 87-79 decision at the Barclays Center. The Raptors’ best-of-seven series with the Nets is now tied 2-2. Lowry finished with 22 points, to nicely accent DeMar DeRozan’s 24.

The Raptors even got a few calls from the referees, which has been a sore spot in this series. In the final two minutes, Garnett was called for a moving screen and Paul Pierce was called for a charge. It was the Nets who fell apart in the fourth quarter, managing just three field goals.

At times, it felt like the Raptors were grasping for something, anything, to get a decent look at the net. Lowry is not himself because of a knee injury, and was in foul trouble all game long. Terrence Ross remains a non-factor — he air-balled a three-point attempt in the early stages, and it was not close to hitting the rim. Greivis Vasquez was shaky. Patrick Patterson seemed to be favouring his knee, too. Not that he would have helped on offence, but Landry Fields did not play because of back spasms.

The team was disintegrating in increments. The Raptors did not score in the third quarter until more than six minutes were gone in the frame. Casey played Lowry and Amir Johnson heavy minutes in the quarter despite both having four fouls. Johnson picked up his fifth with more than 16 minutes remaining in the game, hurting his left knee as he attempted to draw a charge on Paul Pierce.

Head coach Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors shouts instructions to his team against the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Raptors coach Dwane Casey called them “courageous” and would not have thought about trying to manage them down the stretch.

“We’d probably have got into a fight if I’d tried to take him out of the game,” Casey said of Lowry.

“He’s a tough competitor. He’s going to play hurt,” Nets coach Jason Kidd said of Lowry. “He doesn’t use any excuses.”

The Raptors beat up the Nets inside to start the game. Johnson feasted in the paint, with the Raptors working out of the pick-and-roll more than they did in any of the first three games. Neither Mirza Teletovic nor the immobile Andray Blatche could stick with him.

However, the Raptors were also making difficult shots. DeRozan’s jumper in the second quarter with Alan Anderson in his face with 14 seconds remaining on the shot clock is the definition of a poor shot in the modern-day NBA. They count just the same when they go in, of course.

DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors shoots against Paul Pierce of the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Most importantly, the Raptors turned the ball over just five times in the first half, 10 times overall, after pushing 20 in each of the first three games. The Raptors took some questionable shots early on, but that is better than not getting to take a shot at all.

“We can’t try to make plays that are outside ourselves and force situations,” Casey said before the game. “Brooklyn, that’s one of their strengths, their defensive hands, forcing turnovers. They’re one of the tops in the league at doing that. We knew that coming in.”

Facing a quasi-must-win scenario on Sunday, the Raptors blitzed the Brooklyn Nets early on, starting the game on a 13-2 run. It forced Kidd to call a timeout.

As is custom, the players that were in the game headed to the bench to take a seat. All except one player — Lowry. He was in too much pain to sit down. This team is standing tall.

“We’ve got some mending to do,” Casey said about overall team’s health. Game 5 is Wednesday in Toronto.